Meeting documents

To receive the report.

The Board were given a presentation on the Hospital Resettlement Service. The Service is delivered in a hospital setting and has been based in Musgrove Park Hospital as there is already a similar service based in Yeovil Hospital. The service role is responsible for people who are patients in a hospital setting and whose discharge is being or is likely to be severely compromised by difficulties with their housing need.  Working alongside Somerset’s Health Interface Service the aim is to reduce the overall length of stay and total number of occupied bed days on in-patient wards and to prevent hospital re-admissions by working with internal departments and external agencies.  By linking health and social care, housing, and other appropriate agencies to develop a discharge plan.

The Board were given two case studies that demonstrated the need for the service and how it worked for the individual in addressing a housing need which was preventing hospital discharge but did not need medical intervention.

The case studies demonstrated the need for a multi-agency approach and whilst the many advantages were clear there was also a need to manage the expectation of hospital staff in the available housing options. The safe and secure discharge of some of the more complex cases required co=ordination with many agencies as well as the confidence of the patient.  

The Board discussed the Service and the case studies. They recognised the challenges around hoarding as a real issue.  The Board discussed the co-dependency of health and housing and that this work arose from work done by the Board a year ago. The Board wanted assurance that the Hospital Resettlement Service, the Strategic Housing Groups, and the Homelessness Reduction Board all worked together to make sure there was no duplication.

The Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board:

·       welcomed the information on the practical example of ICS and Better Care Fund in action.